


When the World is Ending

by Cdelphiki



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), DCeased (DC Comics)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Brotherly Bonding, DCeased, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Zombies, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 19:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19774426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cdelphiki/pseuds/Cdelphiki
Summary: Set after DCeased #3.  So spoilers for that series.Jason finds out about Bruce and the entire rest of the batfam, so as the only remaining bat in Gotham, he and Alfred pack up and go to Metropolis to help with the recovery efforts.  Once there, Jason finds Damian and the two of them have a discussion of what's next.





	When the World is Ending

**Author's Note:**

> As of today, #4 hasn't come out, and I'm pretty sure we don't actually know the status of Jason. So I just ran with the idea he's okay.

Gotham was trashed.

Jason was pretty lucky. He realized what was going on fairly quickly and was able to avoid all screens.

No one else in the Iceberg Lounge did, however, before he cut the power. So Jason took Dog and started clearing the building as best he could. In the end, he only got his office secured before Alfred called.

And once Alfred called on the radio, Jason had a-whole-nother directive. He found an abandoned truck on the street and loaded Dog up to head to the cave.

It took hours.

Hours of running people over and trying to find alternate routes when too many cars were abandoned and blocking the road.

But he finally made it to the cave and helped Alfred load boxes upon boxes of supplies into the bed of the truck.

“The Justice League is using the Daily Planet as a safehouse,” Alfred said, as he pointed to which boxes needed to come with them, “It would be in our best interest to go there.”

One week ago, those words would have filled Jason with dread. Having to spend any time around Superman or any of the other goody-goodies of the league would have made him contemplate turning himself into Arkham.

Well, that’s a tad dramatic. But he’d definitely consider punching one of the little batbrats or something, out of hopes that would fall him out of whatever graces brought him to such a horrible predicament.

But that was one week ago.

Today, Jason had had to kill dozens of his own men, then dozens, if not over a hundred of random civilians.

People who had done nothing wrong. Who were victims of a horrible plague. Innocent men, women, and children.

God, the children.

And Alfred had to put down his own son and grandsons. Jason’s… his something. Family.

Any grudges held a week ago were forgiven, Jason supposed. In the wake of the apocalypse, talks of the Joker and Penguin seemed frivolous.

In the realization that he, Alfred, and Damian were the only bats left, everything seemed frivolous.

Because right now there was a 14-year-old boy who just lost everyone.

“How’s the kid holding up?” Jason asked, after he’d found Alfred the cat and put him in a carrier in the cab of the truck.

“I have not spoken to him, I’m afraid,” Alfred the human said, while he fastened Titus into the backseat. Jason had never once used a seat belt with Dog, but he figured it was probably actually not a bad idea. Alfred fastened Dog in, as well, and somehow the two massive dogs managed to look at least a little comfortable in the backseat of the pickup.

“He’s a strong kid,” Jason said, staring the truck to head toward Metropolis.

“You would be surprised at how much of that is merely a facade,” Alfred said, allowing the cab to turn to silence.

The dogs napped in the back while Jason flipped through the radio stations, trying to find one that was still broadcasting something other than the same Justice League emergency alert, warning everyone not to use screens and to ‘shelter in place’ until further instructions were given.

Frustrated, Jason punched the radio off and resigned himself to a torturous drive to Metropolis in silence.

But Alfred saved the day, and produced _A Tale of Two Cities_ on CD, so the eight hour drive to Metropolis, only that long due to the horrid state of the roads, wasn’t all bad.

Red Tornado was guarding the entrance to the Daily Planet’s parking garage. Even without identifying himself, Red let them right in. Apparently Clark had called ahead.

Weird day. Clark Kent vouching for him.

“Alfred,” Clark said, when he appeared beside the passenger door as soon as they parked and got out, “Thank God you’re okay.”

When Clark wrapped Alfred up in a hug, Alfred said, “Master Kent… it is good to see you, as well. Thank you for caring for Master Damian.”

Clark squeezed a little more, then let go. “He’s on the roof, Jason,” Clark said, as if Jason would want to immediately go see him or something, then turned back to Alfred and asked, “Where does this stuff need to go?”

“Bruce sent over everything needed to set up a radio system independent of everything already live,” Alfred said, “That is the bulk of the boxes in the back.”

Jason put both the dogs on leashes and let them hop out, aware that he needed to find them a place to… do their business. They had stopped a few hours back, when they were far enough away from civilization that he felt comfortable doing so, but that had still been a while ago.

Getting them water would probably be good, too. And the cat, of course. Which had not been a fan of the leash Jason forced on him to allow him to stretch a little, too.

But before Jason could do anything with the cat, Clark had wooshed him away with everything else in the truck.

“Where’d you put Alfred?” Jason demanded, as soon as Clark returned, “he needs a chance to stretch.”

“I put him in your’s and Damian’s room,” Clark said, as if that were a casual statement.

His _and_ Damian’s room.

Hah.

Like Damian would allow that.

Jason wasn’t really sure he wanted to allow that, either. While he knew _he_ wouldn’t hurt the demonbrat. Probably. If the kid got all stabby, he was not responsible for any repercussions he dealt out.

Also Damian had that little superiority complex going on. Jason highly doubted he wanted to share a room at all.

“We are short on rooms,” Clark explained, without Jason having to say anything, “This is an office building, not an apartment complex. You three will have to share one of the offices with the animals. It’ll be tight, but hopefully temporary while we clean up the rest of the city and start securing more buildings.”

“Right,” Jason grumbled, readjusting Titus’s leash when the dog tried to pull away to go explore.

“Damian hasn’t said much since…” Clark sighed, “He isn’t doing well. Seeing family might help cheer him up.”

“Alfred can-” Jason started, just to be cut off by said man.

“Master Jason, while I am sure he will come around, I did just shoot his father. You are likely to be more of a comfort to him at the moment.”

“I highly doubt he blames you,” Jason tried, but Alfred just shook his head.

“You are his brother,” Alfred said gently, with some finality. As if that statement were enough to convince Jason.

It wasn’t, but he grumbled and went toward the elevator anyway.

Because, sure, they both had the same dad. Kind of. On good days, when Jason and Bruce were both in decent moods and willing to admit their relationship to each other.

But they had never considered each other brothers. Not really.

Sure, the word had come to mind when thinking about Damian, but they had never even lived together. Rarely done anything as brothers, or even as family. It was rare that Jason was let in on things. Rarer still that Damian was also around, at the same time.

The elevator dinged, and Jason stepped off on the last floor, then went and found the entrance to the roof, where Clark had said Damian was.

And once Jason opened the door, he saw Damian right there. Sitting on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling off the side.

Jason saw his grapple attached to his belt, so he wasn’t worried about the kid falling or anything, but still.

Leave it to a bat to pick a dangerous spot to sort through their trauma.

Titus started pulling on his leash, trying his best to get at Damian, so Jason said, “Hey kid,” to grab his attention.

Damian turned, his domino mask in his hands. Jason could see as he started to roll his eyes, just to be distracted by Titus, who had started barking for Damian.

Damian slid off the edge of the roof onto the ‘floor’ and opened his arms just as Titus finally reached Damian.

“Hey, boy,” Damian whispered, burying his face into Titus’s fur, trying his best to hug onto a dog that was so excited all he wanted to do was bounce around and lick at Damian.

As the reunion dragged on, and Damian definitely cried a little, Jason took a seat next to him and let Dog curl up over his legs.

Damian eventually sat up and scrubbed at his face, letting Titus cover him and rest on top of him, similar to Dog. “You have a dog?” Damian asked, looking down at Dog and clearly wanting to pet her.

“Yeah, you can pet her if you want.”

Dog licked at Damian’s hand after he pet her and tried to hop up to climb up on Damian, too. Jason felt betrayed.

But she settled back down and let Jason keep holding her.

“What’s her name?”

“Dog,” Jason said simply, perfectly aware of how stupid the name was.

But it was what she responded to, so that was her name.

“Everyone overestimates your intelligence,” Damian drawled, even as he kept scratching Dog’s ear.

“You’re just jealous of my amazing naming abilities.”

“Tt. Hardly.”

“At least I didn’t name a cat ‘Alfred.’”

“Did you bring him, too?” Damian asked, and the hint of hope in his voice made Jason smile. Just a little.

Don’t judge him for it. Damian was a kid, it was nice when kids acted like kids.

“Yep. He’s in ‘our’ room, according to Mr. Captain America.”

Damian scowled at that, and asked, “What are you even doing here?”

Shrugging, Jason said, “I’m here to help. Gotham has gone to shit, pretty much. No one really left to start up one of these safe houses there. Besides, this is the official JL one so…”

“And you were invited?” Damian drawled.

Jason couldn’t help his grin. “I invited myself.”

“Tt. Figures.”

With another shrug, Jason said, “Eh. You know.”

They lapsed into silence as Titus fell asleep, and Dog just stared out at the roof, occasionally picking her head up to look up at Jason, as if checking whether they were still going to sit there or if she could get up yet.

Each time, Jason would scratch at her head, but kept his head rested back against the wall behind him, just letting the sounds of the city wash over him.

Or, rather. The near silence of the city.

Clark and them were doing a fairly decent job, clearing the roads of the ‘zombies.’

“How are you holding up,” Jason asked, closing his eyes. He didn’t really want to look at Damian and she Damian’s scorn at Jason daring to pretend to care.

“Father…” Damian started, but paused to take a shaky breath, “he-”

“I know, kid,” Jason said, reaching out blindly to pat at Damian’s leg, “Alfred told me.”

Jason opened his eyes in time to see Damian nod, so he added, “Tim and Dick, too.”

Because he really had no other way to relay that information, if he didn’t already know. Jason wasn’t _stupid._ Damian would be upset about Tim. But Dick? Damian would be devastated.

“I know,” Damian whispered.

“The girls, too. All of them.”

Damian scrubbed at his face with his sleeve, then shifted so he was leaning a little more toward Jason.

“I haven’t heard about Duke, yet.”

When Damian sniffed, Jason looked down fully and saw a tear track down Damian’s face. Jason hesitated, but he slipped his hand behind Damian’s back and placed his hand right at the base of his neck, trying his best to convey some sort of comfort to the kid.

“It’s just us,” Damian croaked, and with the admission, more tears started to well in his eyes.

“I know, kid,” Jason said, wrapping his arm around Damian fully and pulling him in, much to the annoyance of the dogs, who had to shift, “I know.”

“I miss him so much,” Damian cried, right into Jason’s shoulder, where he’d buried his face, “I didn’t- I didn’t have enough time.”

Jason wrapped his other arm around the kid and shushed him as his crying grew louder and more desperate.

He’d be a giant liar if he said he didn’t cry, a little, too.

Because Damian was right. They didn’t have enough time.

Not enough time to fix things. To talk it out. To apologize and explain.

Bruce had been a dick to Jason, but Jason had been a dick right back.

For all the posturing, all the arguments, nasty words, and attempts made on each other, Bruce was still family.

Bruce was still _dad._

And now Jason would never get the chance to reconcile with him.

With him or Tim or Dick or Barbara or Cass or Stephanie or _any_ of them.

All he had left was Dog. Dog and Damian and Alfred. And he wasn’t even sure if Damian would want him around, once he recovered enough to not need a shoulder to cry on. Jason was fairly sure that if Damian had an ounce less of pride, he would have just cried on Clark’s shoulder and not even needed Jason.

“How long are you staying?” Damian croaked, after they’d both long since calmed down. He pulled out of Jason’s arms and scrubbed at his face once more, doing nothing to hide the evidence of his tears.

“I dunno,” Jason said, and regretted his words instantly.

Because Damian seemed to shut down at them. Jason could practically see the walls rise. The gates slam shut. The safe lock, hiding away all of Damian’s emotions. Crushing all his hope and trust.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me around,” Jason amended. Because he absolutely would. If this little brat was willing to tolerate all of Jason’s shit, then Jason would gladly do the same in return.

He was never good at family, but neither was Damian.

Maybe they could get along, then.

“You will?” Damian asked, and that little touch of hope was starting to return into his voice, so Jason just smiled, softly.

“Yeah. I won’t leave you, D.”

“You won’t?”

Jason shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. “Brother’s gotta stick together, right?”

“Yeah,” Damian said, smiling slightly as he rested his head against Jason’s arm.

“Good.”

So maybe he and Damian _could_ be brothers, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://cdelphiki.tumblr.com)


End file.
